


hold on turn around and see

by hybridrep



Series: urban fantasy au [2]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Demons, Hybrids, M/M, Magic-Users, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Rituals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 20:30:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9842564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hybridrep/pseuds/hybridrep
Summary: Damn whichever deity or destiny for giving him this crazy case in the middle of winter.Or, alternatively, of how Hakyeon dealt with a case of an alarming amount of pentagrams popping out all around the city.





	

**Author's Note:**

> it's [cream over moon](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5205089/chapters/11997353) followup story so i advise you to read it first because it might get a little confusing along the way!

 

 

Hakyeon wrapped the scarf around his neck a little tighter, tucking his chin closer to his chest. Damn whichever deity or destiny for giving him this crazy case in the middle of winter.

 

It was already December, but there was no snow; there never was. Winter in the city was cold and windy. All the trees were bare, and if not for the occasional lights thrown over their crowns, one would think the late autumn lasted for a couple of months that somehow turned into spring the following year.

 

Hakyeon wouldn't mind if the gusts of wind weren't freezing him to the bone. He wanted to go back to bed so bad.

 

Not any bed, though. Just that morning, he'd been not only wrapped in a thick and warm blanket, but also in, equally if not warmer, arms. He scoffed at the mere thought he'd had to leave.

 

But work meant money. Taekwoon might be loaded, but the last thing Hakyeon would do was to become dependent on that. Moreover, his curiosity had been picked with this case. Not everyday somebody goes on an ‘opening demonic portals’ spree.

 

Hakyeon's fingers were warmed up after having themstuck in his pockets but they had time to grow numb with cold again while he waited for Hongbin to answer his call.

 

"What took you so long?" It's the first thing Hakyeon grumbled when Hongbin finally picked up. "If I stand here any longer, my magic is going to freeze along with me."

 

Hongbin promptly ignored Hakyeon's complaint. "Sanghyuk lost it. Somebody closed the portal." The unsaid 'again' could be heard in the tone of his voice.

 

Whoever was doing it, lacked any consistency. Sometimes they were able to find three open portals in a row, and then another time it'd been destroyed before Hakyeon had got to it. Either a clean cut of the pentagram sign, or it being messily swiped off the floor- they'd came across all varieties. And no demons, nor any kind of underworld creatures were ever waiting for them. Who even opens a portal for nothing?

 

Even police the hadgot so frustrated to the point of contacting Hakyeon. And they hated doing that. If it had something to do with Hakyeon boasting about his success every chance he got, they had never said it out loud. It was obvious, though, it wounded their pride.

 

There was no harm in checking the address Sanghyuk had already tracked. It was downtown again, in one of the older buildings. There were heads observing him from the windows even before he entered it. And then, some of the doors opened when he walked up the stairs.

 

"It's on the last floor," an older woman said, meeting his eyes dead on. They flashed gold. Whatever kind of supernatural she was, she knew what Hakyeon was there for.

 

Hakyeon nodded, thanking her quietly, and moved further up. There was no sound of any door closing, and he wondered if the woman was maybe afraid for him. If she knew about the portal, she must have also felt how underwhelmingly faint Hakyeon's magic was. She didn't know about the tricks, though.

 

Hakyeon closed his finger around the trap he had in his pocket. He might refuse using Taekwoon's money, but he'd still got solidly paid for the job of rescuing his cat. Even Hongbin had shut his teasing mouth when he saw the numbers on his bank account. And Hakyeon could finally get himself better tricks.

 

The faint smell of burnt metal, wood and something that was definitely magic – cloyingly sweet, thick – could be easily smelled even one storage lower. Hakyeon hesitated on the first step leading to the highest floor only for a second.

 

It looked like somebody had detonated a bomb. Signs of smoke were everywhere around the hastily damaged pentagram, not only on the floor but walls and ceiling, too. It looked so bad, Hakyeon started wondering if it hadn't been done on purpose. That, or the ash used to draw the pentagram that had been taken off sacred ground.

 

At this point, Hakyeon didn't think taking a sample would be of any use. He redialed Hongbin's number.

 

"And?"

 

A fast tapping could be heard in the background. Hongbin was either doing actual work, or playing games.

 

"As always," Hakyeon bristled. "Nothing."

 

Hongbin smashed his hand against the keyboard, and Hakyeon took a calming breath as he cursed. "Fuck. This is no use."

 

"You don't need to tell me," Hakyeon grumbled. This whole situation grated on his nerves like nothing else. "The longer it takes, the more I look like a fool. Not only look – I feel like one!"

 

Hongbin had the audacity to giggle, and Hakyeon almost exploded before he heard Jaehwan's voice.

 

"Sorry," Hongbin said, half-heartedly. "Jaehwan is trying to—" He broke into a laugh.

 

"What is Jaehwan even doing there?" Hakyeon asked, baffled. "He was supposed to be with Taekwoon."

 

"He is with Taekwoon."

 

Sometimes, Hakyeon wondered how Taekwoon managed to never be at his company and run it, getting profits higher and higher.

 

"Give him the phone," Hakyeon demanded.

 

Hongbin merely snorted, "call him yourself," and then he hung up.

 

As always, rude. Hakyeon gaped at the screen, and then, scoffing, dialed Taekwoon's number.

 

"Yes? Hakyeonie?"

 

It was hard to be mad when Taekwoon was like this –soft voice and endearments. Any anger Hakyeon had gained from the short conversation with Hongbin evaporates he breathed out, cold making it come out as fog.

 

"You're at my place, why?" He asked, the tone of his voice only emitting curiosity and fondness. "Skipping work again?" He teased.

 

Taekwoon's huff went right into the speaker. "I'm not skipping," he said defensively. "We were supposed to go to lunch together."

 

"Ah," Hakyeon stopped in his tracks. He looked into a distance, trying to remember if Taekwoon had said something somewhere between kissing him awake and Hakyeon trying to put both his coat and shoes at the same time because the kissing took too long. "Ah, yes. Yes, of course." These days, Hakyeon's train of thoughts had been jumping from Taekwoon to the portals, and back again. This whole case was giving Hakyeon a really hard time. "I'll be there soon. If Hongbin says something stupid just punch him in the face."

 

"What if Sanghyuk says something?" Taekwoon sounded strangely serious.

 

"Swallow it down," Hakyeon replied solemnly, "or he'll throw you through the portal."

 

After a shared laugh, Taekwoon cut the line.

 

Not only Hakyeon's fingers were numb when he got to the office, but now his toes as well. Taekwoon, as usual, was lounging on the ratty sofa, this time with Sanghyuk on the other end, poking at his feet.

 

"Sanghyuk, please, just—" He fidgeted, kicking his leg a little. "Why are you—"

 

"Sanghyuk."

 

The tone Hakyeon used was sweet, carrying enough threatening note for Sanghyuk to back off.

 

At the desk, Hongbin was frowning at the computer. Somehow, Jaehwan had found enough free space to perch on the edge of it. He was casually going through some of the papers like he worked there. Hakyeon thought about privacy and work ethic but then his stomach growled. If Jaehwan fucked up, Hakyeon knew where to find him.

 

"We have twelve so far," Hongbin announced, leaning back against his chair.

 

Jaehwan put the papers down. “Does the next one mean anything…” Jaehwan’s voice faltered, “…bad?”

 

Hongbin met his eyes for a split second and then joined the rest in staring at Sanghyuk.

 

“What?”

 

“Well, you are the demon here,” Hongbin pointed out.

 

“Thirteen?” Jaehwan accented every letter.

 

Busy warming Hakyeon’s hands between his, it came as a surprise when Taekwoon spoke up.

 

“Six, thirteen… Sixty-six. Aren’t they all a possibility?”

 

“Sixty six?!” Hakyeon moaned at the same time Sanghyuk said, “correct!"

 

“But it doesn’t need to mean anything,” Hongbin insisted. “Every one of them has been deactivated.”

 

“If we haven’t missed any.”

 

Everyone looked at Hakyeon. He slipped his hands out of Taekwoon’s, laying them in his lap. His eyes weren’t directed at anyone – just his brows set straighter in a frown.

 

“We’re running in circles,” Hongbin mumbled. He put his head on the desk with a grumble, ignoring how the papers crumpled under his cheek. Jaehwan patted him and it only made Hongbin grumble more.

 

Heaving a sigh, Hakyeon stood up. He tugged at Taekwoon to follow him. “We’ll brainstorm later. I can’t do it on an empty stomach, and Taekwoon needs to go back to work.”

 

Jaehwan giggled, and Taekwoon seemed to have a hard time deciding who was he supposed to glare at- him or Hakyeon.

 

“Bring something back!” Sanghyuk called after them.

 

Hakyeon promptly ignored his request, slamming the door shut.

 

 

 

“Are you stopping by tonight?”

 

It was a question Taekwoon was asking a lot lately. Hakyeon gradually had got used to it. It didn’t always mean an invitation to have sex, which he had suspected at first. Taekwoon liked having Hakyeon around, as he once said, straight to Hakyeon’s face, making him blush.

 

Taekwoon’s bluntness, when he somehow wasn’t embarrassed, surprised Hakyeon at times.

 

“If it’s not too late,” Hakyeon said at last. He moved some of his food onto Taekwoon’s plate; there was always too much for Hakyeon but too little for Taekwoon.

 

And that was when Taekwoon surprised Hakyeon with his next question.

 

“Why don’t you just move in?”

 

The piece of chicken Hakyeon was holding between his chopsticks fell onto the table between their plates.

 

“What?” Hakyeon asked, dumbfound.

 

Taekwoon shrugged, eyes dropping to his food. “Your office is just across the street. You’ve been staying at my place more than at your own as of late."

 

"Is this a complaint?" Hakyeon just couldn't grasp the whole picture of what Taekwoon was saying right now.

 

"How is this a complaint when I'm asking you to—" Taekwoon looked like he might lose his temper, voice rising, but he cut himself off in time, deflating against his chair. "I mean it," he said, looking away again.

 

Hakyeon sighed, all fondness. He reached across the table to wrap his fingers around Taekwoon's.

 

It wasn't that Hakyeon didn't want that. Even just the suggestion had made Hakyeon so happy. But they hadn't known each other that long, and they should be careful; they shouldn't jump into things too fast.  Hakyeon couldn't figure out if Taekwoon had shared any of those concerns, or maybe his feelings for Hakyeon were deeper than he'd thought.

 

The idea of Taekwoon loving him that much, already, knocked Hakyeon's heart into faster pace. He squeezed Taekwoon's hand until he lifted his eyes back at him.

 

"I promise to think about it," he said, quietly, as if it had been a secret between them. "I'd need to forewarn my landlord first—"

 

Taekwoon snorted, and Hakyeon gave his hand a light slap. Taekwoon smiled, catching the tips of his fingers before he could move it away. "It's funny how you own the office but rent a place to live."

 

Hakyeon's gaze sharpened. "Are you suggesting I misplaced my priorities?"

 

"No," Taekwoon denied, shaking his head. His fringe danced with the motion, and it looked extremely adorable. "Not at all. But... it's a good reason."

 

Taekwoon was relentless.

 

"Finish your food," Hakyeon said, ignoring Taekwoon's imploring eyes. "I'll go pay."

 

He could feel Taekwoon's gaze trailing after him, and Hakyeon had a hard time convincing himself it hadn't crumbled his resolve by a fraction.

 

 

 

"That's utter bullshit."

 

Hongbin glared at Sanghyuk. He rolled his chair away, so Ilhoon on the other end of the line wouldn't hear the demon's insidious words.

 

"Neither of us is moving forward with it," Hongbin stressed. "You know it yourself, if there's no lead—" Hongbin made a face. "I bet it's not actually you who's in a rush." He stopped for a while, gnawing at his bottom lip as he listened to Ilhoon. "Yeah, I'll tell him. Bye."

 

Hakyeon, even though he'd heard Hongbin's every word, couldn't make any sense of it. Maybe he would have had, if he'd actually focused on it. Instead, he was watching Jaehwan trying to push Taekwoon out the door. Jaehwan nagged while Taekwoon whined, and Hakyeon couldn't stop chuckling at their bickering.

 

"You have a week," Hongbin threw across the room. He rolled back to the desk, discarding his phone somewhere among the papers. Sanghyuk snatched it immediately; Hongbin had a lot of good games on it. "Hakyeon!"

 

"Hmm?" Hakyeon turned in his seat, enough to have Hongbin in a periphery of his vision. "A week? For what?"

 

Hongbin whined again, throwing his head back. "Hopeless," he muttered to the ceiling. When he spoke to Hakyeon again, he gave him an angry pout. "They're giving you a week to find the culprit, or they're going to call you off."

 

"That's rude!" Hakyeon opposed, frowning. "They don't do better a job themselves. I'm going to give Ilhoon a little zap when I see him, that little—"

 

"It's not him," Hongbin cut him off fast. "It's the higher instance. Ilhoon doesn't give a fuck as long as it doesn't have an influence on his pay."

 

"That's... undeniably, the truth." Hakyeon gave a grimace on his own. "We just don't have anything to go by. No pattern," he started counting, "no obvious motive, and not even one concerned parent of their kid satanic tendencies."

 

"It would be easier, wouldn't it?" Sanghyuk agreed. He was looking out the window, expression unreadable. When he swirled around, he gave them a lopsided grin. "We should ask Wonsik if he saw anything unusual.

 

"Yeah," Hongbin agreed. "Don't kids having tendencies of this type like roam around that kind of dramatic, ambient atmosphere? Pentagrams... Cemetery..."

 

"Black masses," Sanghyuk finished.

 

Taekwoon snorted, taking a step back from Jaehwan who stopped fighting him in lieu of listening to the ongoing conversation. He eyed Jaehwan's hands that had gone lax hopefully; he was ready to bolt. Hakyeon raised his brows at him resignedly when Taekwoon dared to glance at him.

 

"Do those actually work?" Jaehwan asked, turning away from Taekwoon fully. His eyes went from Sanghyuk to Hongbin and back.

 

But it was Hakyeon who answered. "Only if you do it right, and not many can."

 

"Or if the other side is willing," Sanghyuk pointed out with a fiendish smile. Jaehwan narrowed his eyes at him. "What? Some might-have-been Merlins and Harry Potters need to learn their lesson, sometimes."

 

"I could teach you a lesson, or two," Jaehwan said. Hakyeon would almost believe he was being serious, if he hadn't given a toothy grin of his own. "But, hey—how can you give some kids a spook but not track whoever's giving us the hard time?"

 

"Us?"

 

Jaehwan – and nobody should be surprised at this point even though Hakyeon got startled – jumped onto the sofa, gripping Hakyeon's sleeve.

 

"Taekwoon's been insufferable!" Jaehwan exclaimed. “And it’s giving me a hard time. So.”

 

Jaehwan’s hands were stronger than Hakyeon had thought. He had to pry his fingers off almost forcefully. There seemed to be not only a physical battle but the mental one as well as they measured themselves with challenging stares.

 

“Jaehwan,” Taekwoon said sternly. “Let’s go.”

 

“Now you’re listening to me,” Jaehwan grumbled. He smiled up at Hakyeon, feign innocence that, against all odds, had always worked to Jaehwan’s benefit. “Bye, bye” he added cutely, and this time successfully pushed Taekwoon out the office.

 

There was silence then, broken only by the flicker of the pentagram in the corner of the room. Once, twice, and half a second long burst of flames later, it spawned Sungjae out.

 

“What’s with the graveyard atmosphere? Where are the snacks?”

 

Only Sanghyuk giggled.

 

 

 

After looking through the papers, again and again, Hakyeon called it a day. Jaehwan had been long back, so Hakyeon, without even calling Taekwoon, went straight to his place. Jaehwan's imploring eyes and knowing smiles made him more agitated than he already was but he managed to hold himself in check.

 

He lost it only when he had the key Taekwoon had given him a few weeks back in his hand. It looked like some kind of plot to get him to agree to Taekwoon's prodding. And Hakyeon wanted to succumb, deep down he'd already agreed – the only concernhe had was how much he prided in making it on his own.

 

The one who had bought the office was Hakyeon. Also the one who had set the whole agency – with Hongbin's help, but still – it had all been him. Even Sanghyuk's summoning had been orchestrated by Hakyeon. He had the spark of magic running through his veins, and he studied it, before and after the idea of the agency had came across his mind, through books and friends.

 

So now, to benefit from Taekwoon's wealth – it rubbed him the wrong way.

 

Hakyeon didn't want anybody to get the wrong impression, even if his own and Taekwoon's motives were clearly not about money.

 

"Damn it," Hakyeon mumbled as the key scraped against the door, missing the hole. "Get a grip, Hakyeon."

 

When he finally stepped inside, he relaxed some. Rocket peeked his head from around the corner, blinking his big eyes at him. He gave a little chirp, rubbing his head against the wall. Hakyeon smiled involuntarily.

 

"Hakyeon?"

 

Taekwoon's voice echoed from somewhere further the apartment, and Hakyeon hurried to step out his shoes, fighting the coat and scarf off at the same time.

 

Taekwoon was in the kitchen, stirring something in the pot. It smelled delicious. Especially for Hakyeon's empty stomach.

 

"You haven't called," Taekwoon said without turning away from the stove, "I'm afraid there might not be enough of it." He pointed at the pot with his spoon.

 

"This?" Hakyeon said, tone going up in amusement. "Not enough? But the pot is almost full!"

 

"Ha..." Taekwoon breathed, scoffing at the end. His appetite was one of not many secrets left Hakyeon couldn't crack. He had no idea where all the food went, because Taekwoon ate enough for three but didn't look like it at all."We can always order something."

 

Hakyeon laughed, falling onto Taekwoon's broad back. Taekwoon jerked a little but didn't try to dislodge him, so Hakyeon put his hand on his shoulders, scooting closer.

 

"It could make sense," Hakyeon murmured against Taekwoon's neck, laughing when he made a disgruntled noise, "if we burned the first meal fast enough."

The puff of air Taekwoon let out almost made Hakyeon back off, but when Taekwoon turned around he had a small smile curling the corners of his mouth up. He kissed Hakyeon, full on the lips. Before it could have turned into something heated, Taekwoon went back to intently staring into the gurgling pot.

 

"You're no fun," Hakyeon grumbled, seating at the table in a way that would allow him to stare at Taekwoon as he cooked.

 

It also allowed Taekwoon to steal glances over his shoulder at Hakyeon. He looked like he expected Hakyeon to do something, probably something out of blue that would startle him. Any other time Hakyeon might have, but he was too tired. Even if the current case hadn't been physically exhausting, it raised so many emotions – frustration, helplessness– that at the end of the day all he dreamed about was to bury himself in bed for forty eight hours at least.

 

Hakyeon was patient enough to wait for them to finish the meal, but not enough to let Taekwoon wash the dishes. He was also very persistent, if not with words then with his hands, and it didn't take him that long to pull Taekwoon into bed with him.

 

"Ah," Hakyeon breathed as Taekwoon took his clothes off, slowly. He let him take the lead tonight, spreading his legs under him, ready to take anything. "Don't go too slow, though." Taekwoon was kissing down Hakyeon's neck unhurriedly, hands going everywhere but where Hakyeon wanted. "I wouldn't want to fall asleep on you."

 

Just then, Taekwoon's hands slipped between his legs. "You won't," Taekwoon said, promised, nipping at Hakyeon's ear.

 

Hakyeon laughed, voice hitching at the end of it. "When I move in—"

 

It wasn't supposed to come out as that. ‘If’, was the word, if he decided to move in with Taekwoon, because he hadn't decided yet. Or had he?

 

Taekwoon didn’t comment on that, opting for kissing Hakyeon again, harder this time.

 

 

 

Visiting Wonsik had became a mess pretty quickly with no solid clues for the case whatsoever.

 

After Hakyeon was woken up brutally by the insisting calls from Hongbin, they squished themselves into one small vehicle. Not very smart, since Taekwoon naturally tagged alone, and Sanghyuk refused travelling by portals. On top of that, he wouldn't stop making vaguely obscene comments towards Hakyeon that got picked up by Jaehwan soon enough. In one word – itwas a nightmare.

 

"You keep on wriggling in your seat," Sanghyuk observed. Of course Hakyeon was – Jaehwan was the one driving the car. Not only that –Hakyeon was right in between Taekwoon and Hongbin, and only because he was the shortest. Or so they'd said. "Is it uncomfortable back there? Or is it your ass?"

Hongbin coughed into his hand – obvious sign of pretending not to laugh – and Taekwoon reached his hand to push on the back of Sanghyuk's chair.

 

"I can give you an idea of hurting ass," Hakyeon cautioned, drawing Taekwoon back. He had no idea how he'd managed to lean so far against his seatbelts, but Hakyeon didn't want to risk getting pulled over by the police. That would have been quite ironic, not to mention how it might have jeopardized his job.

 

"You'd have an experience with that, wouldn't you?"

 

Hakyeon screamed in frustration. He walked right into that one, true, but he was so done with the teasing. He turned to Jaehwan. "Don't forget to turn left."

 

The assented hum sounded like a kept-in laugh. Hakyeon just swallowed every one of the profanities he wanted to shout at the car full of heathens. He wished Wonsik lived nearer than the outskirts cemetery.

 

If Taekwoon hadn’t been quick himself, Hakyeon would have climbed over him as soon as the car stopped.

 

“Ah,” Hakyeon heaved a breath, stretching as much as his coat let him. “Finally.”

 

They parked right at the gates – not many people visited this place, practically none during the week. There were only two other cars, parked not so bluntly at the very front but further away.

 

“Wonsikie!” Jaehwan called on top of his lungs and Hakyeon almost cracked his spine, startled. It made Sanghyuk grin widely, and Taekwoon scrunch his nose in displeasure.

 

Hakyeon knew he was the last voice of reason, so he was the one to scold Jaehwan. “Let the dead rest.” He made sure to pinch the tips of Jaehwan's pointy ears when they crowded in front if Wonsik’s door.

 

With a clear sky, the sun helped with making the cemetery look less scary. It didn’t efface an image of the last visit Hakyeon had paid there. He knocked on Wonsik’s door briskly.

 

“Coming!”

 

Hakyeon had told him he’d stop by, but never said anything about the cavalry. He himself hadn’t expected to find his car already full this morning when he walked out Taekwoon's tenement.

 

As expected, Wonsik’s eyes went wide in surprise.

 

“H-hello everyone?” He said, smile tight but there nonetheless.

 

Jaehwan was the first to push through the threshold. “Cold, so cold!” He exclaimed in high-pitched voice. He didn’t even mind Wonsik’s bewildered expression when Jaehwan almost walked through him. “Oh my—“

 

They heard a loud bang, and then nobody cared who pushed who as they hurried inside. Hakyeon was almost stepping on Taekwoon’s heels, and then bumped into his back when he stopped. Leaning out over his shoulder, he needed to swallow a giggle.

 

Apparently, Jaehwan run into a big ledger stone and knocked not only some elements over but himself as well.

 

“Why is stone so hard?” He whined, climbing onto an old armchair in the corner. “Hard and… macabre.”

 

Wonsik gave them a sheepish smile, ducking his head a little. “Somebody made himself a dinner table of one of the stones. It also looked like, uh, somebody vomited onto it after? I don’t know.”

 

“Oh,” Hakyeon said, disgust morphing into revelation. “Is it recent? It might have been some kind of ritual—“

 

“Hakyeon?” Wonsik’s features were painted with something akin to pity. “I know barf when I see one. It didn’t look like blood, or chalk, or any heavy powered type of ash. Just, something like popcorn and—“

 

“Okay, okay!” Jaehwan shouted from his seat. He didn’t look very wounded. “I, personally, believe you. I’m betting Hakyeon does, too. Aren’t we looking for pentagrams?”

 

“That might not be all, in the wider spectrum.”

 

Hongbin sat at the arm of Jaehwan’s seat. There weren’t many places to sit on, anyway. Jaehwan pouted at him, and Hongbin, even after making a face at him and snorting, reached a hand to pet his hair for a bit.

 

Wonsik looked like he wanted to go and do that, too.

 

"I'd like to check the scene, anyway," Hakyeon said, as insistent as ever. "If magic was involved, I'll be able to feel it."

 

"No reports from the afterlife, though" Wonsik shrugged, "but be my guest."

 

Hakyeon smiled, happy to get his way. "Right away!" He turned his eyes on every one of them, one by one. "I know it's cold but... but I wouldn't mind some company."

 

There was a flicker of unhappiness on Taekwoon's face, visibly displeased with the prospect of walking back into the biting cold. Jaehwan seemed to be still upset (Hakyeon knew he was pretending at this point), and Hongbin looked him dead in the eyes, saying a sharp "thanks" as he resumed petting Jaehwan's hair. It was with an open palm, somehow mechanic, and finally Jaehwan leaned away, discontent.

 

Hadn't Sanghyuk been quiet the whole day, it wouldn't come as a surprise when he was the one that agreed at last. "I'm coming," he said, as carefree as ever.

 

Another unusual thing was for Sanghyuk to want hang out together with Hakyeon, but then it was work related task right now. Hakyeon wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

Outside, it felt even colder than when they'd got there. Wonsik's home was warmer than the car that had only got stuffy with five people in its small compartment for the ride had been long. Maybe that's why Sanghyuk wanted to accompany him – his demon body was more temperature resistant than the rest of theirs.

 

"You really think it could be the same person?" Sanghyuk asked as they stepped between the graves. "It might be just a coincidence."

 

"I'm afraid it is," Hakyeon said, trying to not sound too much resigned. "Or just as this person has been playing with us, it's some kind of another trick."

 

Sanghyuk hummed noncommittal, and it baffled Hakyeon. Usually, he would fight anyone and everyone to prove a point, and if not seriously than for fun – bickering  until the person burst out. But now he relented all too easily. Hakyeon squinted at him, tried to read off his body language, but Sanghyuk was just Sanghyuk. He couldn't decipher if he had already rested that case, or maybe...

 

No, he couldn't know anything and hide it. He wouldn't jeopardize their work like that.

 

"It's here."

 

Hakyeon saw it all very well. The ledger was gone – to Wonsik's living room, naturally – and there was a gaping hole in between the four short stone walls. Not only the top had suffered it seemed, because the unidentified substance was sprayed all around the grave. It looked terrible, like something had blown up there.

 

For an act of vandalism, it still appeared weird. Only this one grave had been destroyed, and from the tombstone came off that this creature hadn't had anyone close be it alive. Even revenge seemed too odd to even consider it. Who would have taken revenge over the dead?

 

"This tells us nothing," Hakyeon sighed. He should probably inspect the grave more, but his hands were warm inside his coat's pockets. He assessed the crisped out bushes, grimacing when the wind blew the unpleasant smell in their direction. "Let's go," Hakyeon sputtered, covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve. "I'll inform Ilhoon about it, but—"

 

He didn't finish, stopping mid-turn as his eyes caught onto something that made a shiver run down his spine. A shiver of both excitement and anger. Sanghyuk, eyes trailing Hakyeon's path of vision, let out a soft sound of surprise.

 

Just behind the bushes with fried tips of leaves, there was a trace of carelessly wiped pentagram.

They went back to Hakyeon's office, including Jaehwan, and even Wonsik. After they had called Ilhoon and left him with the new discovery to deal with, there was nothing else for them to do except trying to make something coherent of it. To no avail, so far.

 

"This is agonizing." Hongbin threw his head back, looking up at the peeling off ceiling with a crumpled in anger expression. "The more traces we find, the more clueless I am. There's just—nothing." He made a vague gesture with his hands. "I preferred lost cats cases," he murmured. Hakyeon scoffed, but he turned to Taekwoon, a shadow of a smile, sheepish. "No offence."

 

Taekwoon looked like he was ready to actually move from his favorite spot on the couch and slap Hongbin across the head, but he decided against it the last moment, falling back onto his back. His eyes looked dangerous, cat-like when slotted just enough, piercing with their gaze. When he spoke, his words were a stark contrast, quiet and placating. "Rocket was kidnapped, yes."

 

The fire from his eyes disappeared when Hakyeon patted his ankle soothingly. "Lost cats cases are a lot less dangerous, though." He held his leg firm when Taekwoon tried to kick him. "They're simple, and pay right away. This one is just a headache so far."

 

"And hasn't brought in a single penny."

 

The conversation had died with Hongbin's words. Sanghyuk was staying oddly quiet, fidgeting near his personal pentagram. Wonsik had been looking through the photos of every portal Hakyeon had taken, or whatever had left of them. He would grunt or murmur something under his nose from time to time, brows knitted together in concentration.

 

Hakyeon doubted Wonsik would find anything groundbreaking, but maybe another person's perspective would bring something fresh, something new to go by. It would have wounded Hakyeon's pride to admit that, but maybe they had missed something.

 

The moment Hakyeon released Taekwoon's leg to go get them coffee after Taekwoon's loud compliance about the office lacking a coffee machine; Hakyeon's phone went off.

 

Hakyeon's heart skipped a beat, adrenaline rushing in. It was Ilhoon. Could it be—

 

"There was more than one," Ilhoon spoke without any preamble. "The grave was an actual center."

 

Hakyeon gulped, what it meant making his heart jump for a totally different reason than before. "They must have performed a ritual."

 

"That's what I thought, but Hakyeon..." Ilhoon's voice halted, the wind swishing in the background, louder than his breathing. "What kind of ritual?"

 

Hakyeon closed his eyes, and when he opened them he saw Sanghyuk looking straight at him. He cocked his head, and Hakyeon found it hard to believe he wasn't listening in. He'd always had. But it was Hakyeon who turned his gaze away. He took a calming breath; Ilhoon was getting impatient, calling Hakyeon's name.

 

"Nothing good," Hakyeon said, tremble in his voice making him feel self-conscious, embarrassed. He took in another steadying breath. "It means nothing good."

 

 

 

Calling it a day, again, should have made Hakyeon feel guilty. He wasn't, though. Now that they finally had certainty about what was to come, there was nothing they could do to actually prepare for it. They couldn't try stopping whatever it'd come to be, as they didn't have any knowledge about the person behind it, nor the place. Not even the purpose of the ritual was clear. The first thought would be bringing back the death, with the grave and all, but was it, really? It could have been so much more than that.

 

"Let's go home."

 

Hakyeon was aware he'd said that when they'd been leaving the office, and only later it occurred to him what he'd meant. He was the one who stepped in the direction of Taekwoon's apartment first, and the thought he should at least consider going to his own place to fetch some clothes only appeared when he found he didn't have a single pair of clean underwear at Taekwoon's left.

 

"Take some of mine," Taekwoon said with a shrug. He'd been ignoring the pile of laundry in the basket for a while now, and he'd been doing so very persistently.

Hakyeon shot him an unimpressed glare. "You don't see the problem, do you?"

 

There it was - another shrug. He left Hakyeon to decide for himself, and besides actually going back to his apartment, borrowing one of Taekwoon's briefs was his only option. Hakyeon huffed, considering taking his car and leaving Taekwoon alone- he was that much miffed with him.

 

He snatched one of Taekwoon's pajama bottoms, opting to make a decision in the morning. For all he could have been miffed at Taekwoon, he was also too lazy to go to the other side of the city this late.

 

Already showered, Hakyeon was waiting for Taekwoon's turn to be finished. He stared at his phone uselessly, opened a book he'd always forgot to take back with him but trailed off two sentences in, then stared at the wall. His thoughts just couldn't get off the damn ritual.

 

"Taekwoon," Hakyeon called. He was taking so long in there, and Hakyeon needed a distraction. "Taekwoon!"

 

When Taekwoon appeared, he was shirtless, with his hair still wet, drops of water sliding down his naked chest.

 

"What?" He looked like he'd thought something had happened, but when he took the sight of Hakyeon sprawled on the bed, his expression turned into an annoyed frown. "Hakyeon."

 

"What?" Hakyeon mimicked him. He didn't even move a finger, and his head was craned enough to catch the figure of Taekwoon's with the corner of his eyes. "You were taking forever in there, come here."

 

Taekwoon, for a second, looked like he'd argue. Eventually, he closed the door to the bathroom behind himself, and climbed over Hakyeon without a word. "You're insufferable," he murmured, looking down at him.

 

"Me?" Hakyeon laughed. "I could say the same about you." It made the corners of Taekwoon's mouth curl up. Hakyeon's heart was beating a notch faster in anticipation as they divulged into a staring contest. But he had only enough patience before he was whispering, "come here," and tipping his head back so they could kiss.

 

It was warm and unhurried but deep. Hakyeon took his time sliding his fingers between the wet strands of Taekwoon's hair, playing with them. If anything was able to distract Hakyeon well enough, that was this.

 

"Is this what you wanted?" Taekwoon asked, feather-like, kissing Hakyeon's neck up to his ear. He kissed the shell, open-mouthed and hot. "What else?"

 

Hakyeon laughed, scratched the nape of Taekwoon's neck just to hear the content little noise he'd let whenever Hakyeon did that. "Less clothes," Hakyeon said after a beat, trying to figure his desires out. There was always the possibility of letting Taekwoon lead the way tonight, but Hakyeon wasn't sure he wanted to give him such power this time. To take his mind off work fully, he needed to dive into action. But then he didn't have mind for orchestrating the whole thing. Hakyeon was that much agitated.

 

"I want to ride you," Hakyeon confessed at last. He licked his lips, gasped when Taekwoon licked at his collarbone teasingly. "Without trying to roll us around this time."

 

It was a warning Hakyeon hoped went through to Taekwoon despite the quiver in his voice. Sometimes, Taekwoon would grow impatient, or displeased with the power division between them, and the last time Hakyeon sat in his lap, on his cock, controlling the pace as he wanted it to be, Taekwoon flipped them over. It almost ended up with Hakyeon getting a bump on his head. He was not risking another life-threatening situation during sex.

 

When Hakyeon pushed at Taekwoon's shoulders he went easily. He looked even better like this – wet hair against the pillows, wet eyes looking up at Hakyeon. His lips were wet as well, shining from all the kissing.

 

It was Hakyeon's turn to lean down, and he dimly thought of how well he fitted like this. In Taekwoon's bed, over or under him - it didn't even matter - with his lips giving in easily. Kissing just came as breathing to them.

 

Even though it had been Hakyeon wishing for fewer clothes, Taekwoon was the one to tug Hakyeon's loose t-shirt off him. When they started topush their underwear off the way at the same time and their hands knocked, Taekwoon snorted a laugh, and Hakyeon slapped his chest with a smile. "Shut up," he said, not really meaning it.

But Taekwoon did, not saying another word, and Hakyeon pressed himself closer, kissing him again and again.

 

Opening Hakyeon up was a joined effort, although a bit uncoordinated. Hakyeon was trying to speed up where Taekwoon's hand remained on Hakyeon's hip, keeping him grounded. It was rather unsuccessful on Taekwoon's part.

 

"Your help," Hakyeon panted. He let out a chocked of moan, grounding his hips down. "It's—unhelpful." He rocked again, but his own fingers could go only that deep. "Now," he continued, slowly, very slowly so Taekwoon could feel the drag of it, sliding his fingers out. "Try harder."

 

Was it Taekwoon's patience as per usual running short, or had he found it a challenge, nonetheless he wasted no time in replacing Hakyeon's fingers with his own. It made Hakyeon fall forward, and grip Taekwoon's shoulders hard.

 

"Fuck," Hakyeon stuttered as Taekwoon went deeper. It was... "Enough," Hakyeon gritted his teeth, but contrary to his words, he didn't stop moving against Taekwoon's fingers. "Enough."

 

Hakyeon dug his nails into Taekwoon's shoulders, hard, lifting himself up, and Taekwoon got the message. This and more, because when Hakyeon came back down, it was only to be filled up again.

 

"I'm too wound up," Hakyeon said, feeling the burn in his legs. He was far from relaxed when they started, agitated after so many fruitless days of floundering around city, and it made him more tired than he normally would be. He harbored a deeper breath, hips stuttering. "Taekwoon—"

 

Taekwoon's voice was void of amusement or allusion, but it still piqued Hakyeon when he said, "you told me no rolling over."

 

Still not tired to the bone, Hakyeon rolled his hips especially long and hard. "Don't get smart now," Hakyeon said sweetly. "I could finish myself, if you—"

 

It was yet again Taekwoon interrupted him, this time by seriously flipping them over. It wasa miracle Hakyeon hadn't hit anything with his head, or maybe Taekwoon tried to be careful this time. Hakyeon sank into the pillows, even further when Taekwoon pushed back in, pressing them together close. Close enough for Hakyeon to get stimulated both ways.

 

"Ah, that's—" Hakyeon broke off into a moan. "That's very nice." There wasn't much room for Hakyeon to move, and he relented. He squeezed his thighs for the last time around Taekwoon's hips, and then let them fall on the bedspread loosely.

 

Maybe that's what he needed all along - to let himself take, and don't think about anything, just the closeness of Taekwoon's body and nothing more.

 

Taekwoon rutted harder, and Hakyeon folded into himself more. He moaned, louder, the closer Taekwoon got. It felt like he wanted to melt into him, the air between them hot and moist. It was hard to tell their sweat apart, mixing on every millimeter of where their bodies touched. At this rate, Taekwoon would need another shower after they were done.

 

"Hakyeon." Taekwoon wasn't looking at him, face pressed to the side of Hakyeon's neck, but it made Hakyeon hear him that much better. "Hakyeon, you—"

 

He never got to hear what Taekwoon had to say as he surprised Hakyeon by coming just then. He gripped Hakyeon's hands, palms pressed together and fingers intertwined above the pillows, and it almost hurt. Almost, because Hakyeon was strong, strong enough to hold him through it, match the intensity of Taekwoon's grip with one of his own. But he had stilled too soon.

 

"Ah, Taek—" Hakyeon tried to make him move, tilted his hips up, but Taekwoon was shutting him up with his mouth, insistent. He did it long enough for Hakyeon to get distracted as he slipped out and then slid down Hakyeon's body, mouthing at Hakyeon's neck and chest with short little presses. Hakyeon knew what was coming, and it still tore a rigid moan out of him, the heat of Taekwoon's mouth the most intense where it really mattered at the moment. "Oh, fuck! Just—" Hakyeon choked, sobbed, because Taekwoon was being slow on purpose. He had learned by now, they both had -how to torture each other. "Don't tease me," he threatened, though weakly. "Not now."

 

Taekwoon lifted his eyelids, seeking contact with his gaze, and he looked almost savage. He looked like a wild cat, and oh, how accurate itwas.

 

Even though they hadn't been as close as before, Hakyeon didn't stop feeling too hot, feverish even. He felt his own sweat, big droplets making their way from his temple past the hairline and further down. Seeing Hakyeon was struggling for it, Taekwoon changed his tactic soon enough. Instead of going soft and slow, he flattened his tongue against the tip and sucked until Hakyeon was shuddering through his orgasm, cursing with his eyes shut so tight he saw literal stars.

 

When Hakyeon opened his eyes he needed to blink them away, white and red spots like a mosaic on the ceiling he stared at before he reached for Taekwoon. And he went willingly, climbing up Hakyeon's body clumsily; the sheets just wouldn't stop making Taekwoon's hand slip and slide. He collapsed onto Hakyeon when their faces were at the same level, nuzzling his face against Hakyeon's neck and shoulder.

 

"Do you feel better now?" He asked, words muffled.

 

"Well," Hakyeon considered, and he felt Taekwoon's teeth on his skin, ready to bite him if he was to say something unwelcome. "My shin is cramped." And yes, he felt Taekwoon biting down. Not enough to bruise, though. "But you were good. Very satisfactory." Taekwoon bit him again, and Hakyeon laughed.

 

"That's not what I meant," Taekwoon whined, lifting himself on his elbows.

 

The way he was looking at Hakyeon— it made Hakyeon feel something that he couldn't name any differently than love. It was a mix of fondness, deep down desire and an emotion that was able to shake Hakyeon hard enough for him to feel pinpricks of tears in the corner of his eyes.

 

"I know," Hakyeon admitted at last, smile growing softer, more genuine. He lifted his hand to touch Taekwoon's full cheek. "It helped, I—" Hakyeon stuttered. "I'll probably go back to being uneasy tomorrow, but for now," Hakyeon brought Taekwoon closer, pecking him on the lips quickly, "for now I'm more than content. If I only needn't leave the bed tomorrow..."

 

"Ah," Taekwoon mumbled, biting down a smile, "you could be having that more often..."

 

Again, Hakyeon felt his heart giving a hard thump. He knew what Taekwoon meant— it was about moving in with him. And Hakyeon, definitely not for the first time, felt that even if he put it off for now, it wouldn't change a thing. He was going to cave in anyway.

 

"You mean, every day?" He teased. He shouldn't be misleading Taekwoon like that, but he couldn't say yes just yet. He really should give his landlord a call first. "Oh!" Hakyeon said, as if he came up with a shocking idea just then. He ignored Taekwoon huffing over him with mild annoyance. "Or is it twice a day?"

 

That was how much teasing Taekwoon could take – he dived down, kissing Hakyeon's mouth to shut him up.

 

Dimly, Hakyeon remembered how he'd used to complain about kissing after blowjobs. It felt like ages ago as he opened his mouth on his own accord, brushed his tongue against Taekwoon's without any prompting. It was dangerous how much Taekwoon had dug himself under Hakyeon's skin already, and yet, yet – Hakyeon just couldn't find it in himself to be afraid of it.

 

And he was going to move in probably sooner than he himself had planned.

 

 

 

"I'll meet you up for lunch."

 

Hakyeon frowned as he plundered Taekwoon's closet for the thickest sweater he could find. It was too cold to get moody about the weather on top of the unresolved case. At least he could be comfortable as he had to wander the city streets aimlessly.

 

Jaehwan was already at Taekwoon's apartment, trying to help by making even more of a mess as he threw every piece of cloth he fished out onto the floor.

 

"You know I'm the one who's going to have to pick it up?"Hakyeon said giving Jaehwan a hard look.

 

A noncommittal shrug Jaehwan gave in response made Hakyeon nerves flare. He swatted at Jaehwan hands, and it made the thin – Hakyeon wouldn't even consider this one – sweater to fall to the floor. Jaehwan gave him a triumphant grin.

 

Hakyeon turned to Taekwoon, addressing his previous words. "You should work." It was said in a stern voice, but Hakyeon wasn't sure if it was because of Jaehwan's childish behavior or the fact that Taekwoon had been spending most of his working hours with Hakyeon.

 

"It's boring." Taekwoon said it in so matter-of-factly tone like it truly was that boring. And Hakyeon couldn’t even disagree on this one – Hakyeon's job was far more exciting. It was no wonder Taekwoon liked to accompany Hakyeon more than sitting in the office for entire days.

 

"Take Rocket with you?” Hakyeon suggested, not very convinced himself. There was no good advice when it came to work. You just do it. Taekwoon was like an insolent boy sometimes. Just like now, sending daggers with his sharp gaze. Hakyeon raised his hands up in defeat. “I don't know!"

 

Taekwoon subsided. "I'm taking Jaehwan, that's enough,” Taekwoon said, solemn and tormented, turning the conversation into a joke.

 

Too bad Jaehwan wasn’t amused.

 

"Hey!" He protested, trailing after Taekwoon as he left the room. “Am I a burden to you?”

 

Hakyeon took one of the many gray sweaters Taekwoon owned at last, going after the two as he put it on. He didn’t think they would end up fighting, he had never seen them do it, but one can never be precarious enough. He went into the kitchen just in time to hear Taekwoon say, “annoying.”

 

“Me annoying? Like your boyfriend is any better.”

 

“I can hear you, Jaehwan.” Hakyeon crossed his arms, looking at him expectantly. Even if it hurt Hakyeon to hear Jaehwan say that, he wasn’t going to show it. From all people, Jaehwan shouldn’t be one to speak like that about other people. “Besides,” he couldn’t stop himself from saying, “says the pot to the kettle.”

 

“I think I’m way cuter,” Jaehwan sniffed. “A pot with cute flower embroilments and such. And I’m sure I’m cuter than the evil cat."

 

Oblivious to their conversation, Rocket sat at the windowsill, not even bothering to give them a glance. He did so only when Taekwoon came closer and stroked his head, all defensive glares.

 

Hakyeon caught Jaehwan by the shoulder, and then by the waist when he tried to get away.

 

“Eh, let—go, “ he mumbled before he started to giggle. Hakyeon poked him in the ribs, tickled his sides. “You love me anyway, don’t you?” Hakyeon gave him a squeeze on the nape of his neck and Jaehwan whined. “Taekwoon!”

 

But Taekwoon was laughing at them silently, making Hakyeon distracted enough for Jaehwan to slip out from under his hands.

 

Hakyeon lounged forward, and Taekwoon yelped. He was way more sensitive than Jaehwan, which made him a target way easier to tease. Rocket, annoyed with all the noise and motion, jumped off the windowsill and disappeared into the corridor.

 

“If you start making out I’m going to throw things at you!”

 

Just to annoy him, or maybe just because it sounded like a pretty good idea, Hakyeon chased Taekwoon’s lips, kissing the smile off his face.

 

Fortunately, for all parties involved, Jaehwan simply left the room.

 

 

 

Even Taekwoon’s sweater couldn’t block the cutting wind romping outside. Hakyeon, alone this time, came back to the most recent scene –the cemetery.

 

Despite Wonsik’s frowny face that meant he hadn’t liked that, the grave that had suffered was left as it was –destroyed and open.

 

Hakyeon went over the places Ilhoon had pointed out in his messages, touching the ground around the remains of pentagrams. There seemed to be three in total, two up behind the plates, and one at the foot of it. They must have been strong, judging not only by the outcome of the explosion, but the mere energy that had been transfused into the already potent soil. It tingled in Hakyeon’s fingertips, and it was strong enough to feel like sparks of electricity firing by the contact, painfully so.

 

Whatever they were trying to do here, they were out of their minds. Mixing portals and dead people, maybe in a ritual demanding sacrifice, was a death wish in Hakyeon’s opinion. The only worse scenario would be using a living offering.

 

Hakyeon shivered at the thought. If this hadn’t worked out, they may actually try something even crazier.

 

"Here," said Wonsik who came with two cups of hot cocoa. Hakyeon took one with a smile of gratitude. "So, what do you think?"

 

They'd talked about it before, but Wonsik must have meant if Hakyeon saw anything new. He wanted to know if any new puzzle piece fit into place. Hakyeon took a sip, sighing in content as the hot liquid filled his mouth, throat, and then took another until he felt it in his stomach. He glanced at Wonsik and shook his head. "Nothing."

 

Wonsik hummed, taking in the destroyed grave in front of him. There were footprints on the paths between tombstones, but they could have belonged to anyone. Ilhoon deemed it useless to investigate, even when Changsub screamed at him through the speaker of his phone. There would be their prints, and every other person’s who walked those paths. The wind, along with faint drizzle every now and then, gave barely any chance to finding something valuable. It wasn’t a given that whoever was responsible for this madness was stomping on the ground; it wasn’t a given they even had feet to begin with.

 

"I think," Wonsik said after a while, voice gruff, "the next thing they do isn't going to be less—spectacular than this."

 

That was exactly what Hakyeon had thought. "I hope when that happens, we'll be able to catch them in the act." He finished his cocoa, swallowing the thick on sugar drink even though it burnt his throat.

 

Two lines ahead, a family walking by eyed them suspiciously. From under white fluffy earmuffs, Hakyeon was still able to catch on the tips of the woman’s elven ears picking out. But the person beside her was strikingly human, and Hakyeon thought about Jaehwan. Had his parents been as blunt as this? But then, twenty years ago were different times.

 

By his left, Wonsik nodded at them, and so Hakyeon followed to do the same. They didn't smile back at them, but the features of the elf softened, and she bowed back. Times really had changed.

 

"Keep your eyes open," Hakyeon said, handing his empty cup back to Wonsik. "And ears."

 

Wonsik huffed out a laugh, and they went in their own directions, Hakyeon to his car and Wonsik to his little brick house. There was nothing more they could do, for now. Hakyeon just prayed, even if believing in it came with difficulty, that waiting was going to be enough.

 

 

 

Calling Eunkwang had been a mistake.

 

"Energy spurts? I am the energy spurt!" Hakyeon heard through the phone.

 

It had been Sanghyuk's idea, highly supported by Sungjae, and so Hakyeon had caved in and gave Eunkwang a call. He was an energy master, and as crazy as they go. Hakyeon should have made one of the demons deal with him—their last resort.

 

"I doubt you haven't heard about the pentagrams yet," Hakyeon said, not asked. Eunkwang also didn't answer, so Hakyeon continued, "the next person calling you might be Ilhoon. Or he might pay you a visit without calling first. It—It's a mess, so far."

 

Hakyeon wasn't kin on making threats, but what did he have to lose at this point? Except from his own job, if the news about his incompetence spread. Besides, the police didn't ask more nicely than him.

 

"Ilhoon is bad at making appointments, that's true," Eunkwang admitted solemnly. He sighed, then grumbled. "Ah, okay, okay. You're probably working together anyway." Now it was Hakyeon's turn to remain silent. "It's not easy to pick this stuff up, you know that?" Eunkwang sniffed. "You only care about my—Minhyuk, no!"

 

There was an exquisite sound coming through the line, and Hakyeon moved the phone away from his ear to look at it in surprise. Both Sanghyuk and Sungjae cocked their heads in question, and the synchronized movement looked unsettling. Hakyeon tapped on the screen, putting the call on speaker. "What was that?"

 

A distant argument got interrupted by another wave of sounds that echoed in one's ears uncomfortably.

 

"Minhyuk just won't keep his hands to himself," Eunkwang complained. "Sometimes, I miss Hyunsik."

 

Then, it clicked. "Is Minhyuk your new apprentice?" Hyunsik had been one for some time, but as much as he felt the energy flow, and how well he could tell one apart from the other, he’d never learned it on a bigger scale. And Eunkwang's patience only ran that thick. He'd sworn to never take anyone in again, but deep down he was a softie. The name, though, the name sounded familiar. "Lee Minhyuk?"

 

"One of those, yes," Eunkwang said, and a mimicry of laugh let out very sourly could be heard from the background. "He insists on doing everything his way, and— please, put that down, for the love of— and he never listens!"

 

"If it's the same Lee Minhyuk I know, then you're going to find common ground soon enough," Hakyeon said, trying to appease Eunkwang some. "He can be really sweet." Before Eunkwang could start the stream of protests, and Hakyeon heard that breath he was taking in to do so, he changed the topic to the matter at hand. "So when do I walk you through the case?"

 

"The sooner the better," Eunkwang admitted. "I can't say something hasn't been fucking up the streams as of late. I believe the culprit of that is one and the same. And—" he stopped for a beat, "well, Minhyuk could learn a thing or two."

 

There was a yell of "thank you very much!" and Hakyeon chuckled.

 

The call had barely ended and he was already putting his coat on. 

 

"What about Taekwoon?" Hongbin asked, pulling a folder with all the information together for Hakyeon to take. "He's going to be here any minute."

 

"Yeah," Hakyeon breathed, expression clouding some. He took the folder off the desk, heavy with all the photos and useless data. "Tell him where I went, and let him do whatever."

 

"Let him do whatever," Hongbin echoed, unimpressed. "Should I let him eat me if he fancied?"

 

"Ooh," Sanghyuk gasped, lips stretching into a happy grin. "I'm here to see this. He's for sure going to be mad about Hakyeon leaving."

 

Hakyeon wasn’t in a mood for jokes, and he stomped his feet angrily, knowing very well it wasn’t behavior of a grown-up individual. What he said next wasn’t any less childish, but he couldn’t care less right now. "You're not getting any Christmas presents from me, none of you!"

 

Sungjae gaped at him in disbelief. "What did I do?!"

 

Hakyeon was ready to throw the folder right at them. This argument was ridiculous. All Hakyeon wanted was to talk the case with Eunkwang and go home. Preferably Taekwoon's home, where he wouldn't be welcomed by the owner all miffed with him.

 

Not trying to defuse the argument as he usually would, Hakyeon moved to get out of the office. On the last step by the door he looked over his shoulder, giving Hongbin an equally adamant look to the one he gave Hakyeon before. "If you scratch him under his chin, he won't bite."

 

The pencil Hongbin threw at him met the closed door.

 

 

 

It was indeed the Lee Minhyuk that Hakyeon had known back in school, and all they did for the rest of the afternoon was catching up. Eunkwang didn't even mind much – he obviously waited for all the spicy bits he could use on Minhyuk in the future, and there were some. Hakyeon wasn't one to gossip, but it was too much fun not to tease Minhyuk a bit and spill some embarrassing stories from the past.

 

It was all fun and games until the same weird, metallic sound went right through the room. It was much stronger than when Hakyeon had heard it over the phone, and he maybe would have wondered the reason it hadn’t been as strong was because it hadn’t been direct, if Eunkwang didn’t go all alarmed, flying to his feet and to the machine sitting on one of the desks. Only then Hakyeon figured it was that exact machine, among many in the room, making all that noise.

 

"That's—that's it! Minhyuk," Eunkwang said, not turning his eyes away for even a second from the monitors that said nothing to Hakyeon. "Give me the compass."

 

“I told you it was the machine, not me,” Minhyuk said, exasperated, but obliged nonetheless.

 

Hakyeon watched as they worked around it. He had so many questions but decided to hold them in for now. It was hard when he had no bloody idea what was going on, something he really wasn’t kin on feeling.

 

"It's quite strong," Minhyuk murmured, eyes shifting between Eunkwang, monitors and the compass.

 

Eunkwang huffed, "quite doesn't even cover it." Minhyuk shrugged, but Eunkwang wasn't paying attention to him anymore, he was looking at Hakyeon. "This might be it."

 

The rush of adrenaline made a fast way through Hakyeon's body, making his nerves flare, and his fingers and toes tingled with the magic that had been kicked to a start along with it. He remembered to stay composed, and he stood up slowly. "Where?" He asked, the only thing betraying his rush being his mouth.

 

"It's so, so strong." Eunkwang cocked his head as he said that, eyes roaming over the machine.

 

"Isn't it eight quarter?"

 

Not many people used the old kind of naming the city parts, but Hakyeon remembered Minhyuk doing so back in school. That's how Hakyeon knew which part he meant, and it gave Hakyeon a start.

 

Eunkwang gave an inquiring hum, but Hakyeon was already grabbing his things.

 

"It's exactly where I suspected them to appear," Hakyeon said, wrapping his scarf around his neck haphazardly. Minhyuk was ready to help him straighten it but Hakyeon half-heartedly swatted his hands away. "I'll stop by when it's all over." He patted Minhyuk's arm, and Minhyuk finally stepped back. "And after I move, probably, yeah."

 

They both turned to a still puzzled Eunkwang who asked, "where is it, then? Where are you going?"

 

Hakyeon grabbed the knob, and as he wrung the door open he felt a gush of wind hitting his face viciously. He gave them a last wry smile as he stepped outside. "To the cemetery."

 

 

 

On his way, Hakyeon only called Hongbin.

 

"Get everyone moving, now," Hakyeon ordered.

 

It had got dark outside, even if it wasn't that late. Winter made investigation this much harder because of the shortness of days. Despite the outskirts being poorly lit, Hakyeon chose the longer but void of traffic route. He would get to the cemetery faster than if he chose the shorter but full of vehicles path through the city.

 

Hakyeon's stomach grumbled, but Hongbin's voice was louder.

 

"Sanghyuk and Sungjae disappeared like an hour ago," he said, and Hakyeon knew he was gritting his teeth. Hakyeon couldn't blame him, not at such an important moment. There was a jingle of keys and a click of the lock as Hongbin closed the office. "I'm going to kill them, ugh. Where are you?"

 

"On my way, obviously." Hakyeon was no less irritated. They were so close, and if they were to stay low because of lack of resources, Hakyeon would become angry. Very angry. "So take a taxi if you must, I won't be making rounds."

 

"Meet me at the gates. I have a ride."

 

The line went dead before Hakyeon could ask about that. He wouldn't be surprised if it meant Jaehwan was driving him to the cemetery, but if Jaehwan was there – so would Taekwoonas well.

 

Hakyeon suppressed the need to close his eyes for a second. He was on the road, and even if he wasn't passing by many cars or people, he was supposed to focus. That was something he could persuade himself to do now, but also something that would be very hard if Taekwoon had tagged along. Hakyeon remembered, quite vividly, the last time they had been at the cemetery, after dark. Taekwoon had been his client, but even then Hakyeon was mindful of his presence as they had to get rid of those creepy guys. Now, being together, and in love... Hakyeon gripped the steering wheel tighter, stepping on the gas pedal harder.

 

After Hakyeon parked right in front of the gates – on the wrong space but still straight – he tugged on the compartment door so hard he almost broke it. Three trick balls rolled out of it, and Hakyeon wrung the seatbelts off to dive down and retrieve them from under the passenger seat. Almost all his other trick balls had been left in the office.

 

"Flare one, great," Hakyeon mumbled, far from pleased. "Firebolt, that's better. Oh, thank all creatures, there's one trap."

 

So it was his basic set, one that went well if whoever they were after hadn't been too powerful or in great numbers. In this crazy case, they still didn't know. Soon, it all might come clean. There was another trap in Hakyeon's pocket, and he quickly jumped out of the car when another vehicle came to a stop with screeching tires.

 

Of course, right after Jaehwan and Hongbin, no one else but Taekwoon took off the car.

 

"Why aren't you wearing your coat?" Hakyeon nagged the second he took in Taekwoon's appearance. "And why are you... taking off…"

 

Taekwoon threw the rest of his clothes into the car and then he was no longer human, the familiar big cat in his place looking at him as if in a challenge.

 

"Don't play surprised," Jaehwan said. He ducked when Hakyeon reached his hand to him, and then smiled sheepishly when he saw what Hakyeon wanted – he was giving him one of his traps. "Don't you sometimes wake up with black fur in your mouth?"

 

It would be disturbing to wake up to Taekwoon in his cat form in the same bed, but Hakyeon would probably get used to it. Though he didn't have to, because Taekwoon just simply didn't do that. Truthfully, he answered, "no."

 

"Really?" Jaehwan's asked askance. "He's done it plenty of times, though."

 

"Well," Hongbin cleared his throat. "Sounds like a good dodge tactic."

 

Taekwoon snapped his jaws, pressing his front to the ground in an imitation of an attack, and Hongbin ran through the gates, laughing, and dragging Jaehwan behind himself by the hand. Hakyeon tutted, and Taekwoon relaxed his stance.

 

There was no time for games now.

 

They went in, right after Hongbin and Jaehwan. The cemetery was big, with trees, bushes and up-hills, so all they could do was heighten their senses and follow them. Instinctively, Hakyeon went in the direction of the blown up grave, but it turned out to be the wrong one. The glow came off the opposite direction, and whatever was happening was using energy strong enough to shake the earth under their feet. Taekwoon whimpered lowly, bristling up, and Jaehwan whined, visibly frightened. Hakyeon shared the sentiment but couldn't show it right now. He rushed forward first, venturing between tombstones. He only faltered, almost losing his footing, when a loud roar cut through the silence of the cemetery.

 

"Oh no," Hakyeon mumbled, gripping the chipped statue of an angel on one of the graves for support.

 

"It sounds like—" Hongbin started, but couldn't find his words.

 

Hakyeon unclenched his fingers from the stone cold wings of the angel. He didn't reach into his pocket, didn't grab one of his tricks. It seemed like they wouldn't be strong enough for this. The glow, from yellow, turned into orange and then red; it looked like the horizon was on fire.

 

"Like hell has been opened," Hakyeon finished. It's been some time since he’d actually been scared.

 

If only Sanghyuk was with them. Sanghyuk and Sungjae. Those two – they're going to hear some from Hakyeon after this.

 

"I don't like it," Hongbin said, but nobody did; it must have been obvious.

 

Without further musings, Hakyeon resumed walking. He could hear Jaehwan and Hongbin whispering behind him, but he himself had nothing to say, too agitated and nervous. He could also catch the movement between graves near him. Taekwoon was keeping the pace with him, his paws quieter than Hakyeon's heavy steps. They were getting closer, close enough for the first signs of what had happened to unfold before their eyes.

 

There must have been another explosion, one that had taken out more graves with it. Hakyeon tripped on a fragment of the tombstone just when the glow started fading away. The smoke around the place smelled vicious, of burnt ground and grass, and something that was especially hellish, something that could only be associated with portals to hell but stronger.

 

Another roar almost made Hakyeon trip again, on mere air, but he caught himself in time. This one, though, was somehow different. It sounded a lot less mad. Was there any chance... they were safe?

 

"No fucking way."

 

Hakyeon wasn't sure who exactly said that, but it brought him back from his thoughts and he focused on the picture in front of him. The smoke was thinning slowly, and right before his eyes, in the middle of the ashes, there was Sungjae. He wasn't alone, no – by his feet there was a creature twice, even thrice his size. A beast.

 

It couldn't be true.

 

"Sungjae...?"

 

But it was true, because Sungjae lifted his eyes at Hakyeon then, smiling broadly. "Just in time," he said, patting the beast on its head. "You finally caught me."

 

Jaehwan's mouth was hanging open, and he coughed on the smoke. "Is this so-some kind of a setup?" He asked, eyes watering as he kept coughing. "A hidden camera? Are we going to be on television?"

 

Oh, how Hakyeon wished it were only that. "Sungjae," he said, and he hoped it carried enough threat in it. "Explain yourself."

 

"Ah, you see, I've always wanted a beast." He patted its head again, and something that must have been a hum of content rumbled through the beast's throat. "You haven't had any serious cases since that one when we met," he continued comfortably, like they hadn't almost ended up fighting each other for real. "So I figured it would correspond well. I knew I wouldn't be able to succeed the first time, though it was even more complicated than I originally assumed," Sungjae's face shifted into a disgruntled pout. "But," he clasped his hands after a beat, a bright smile reappearing easily, "here we are, and so is Dongguen."

 

"You already named it?" Hongbin asked, stunned.

 

Hakyeon was no less astonished, and he dared to meetthe beast's eyes.Had it been angry, maybe there would have been an undaunted fire behind its orbs. Now, it wasn't scary at all. Scared, rather. His massive paws didn't even seem to have enormous claws, not any Hakyeon could see anyway. When it yapped at them, cocking its head to the side playfully, the set of teeth looked impressive at last.

 

"You know you're in trouble, right?" Hakyeon asked tightly. "I didn't call Ilhoon yet, but—"

 

"I did." Wonsik looked like he'd been running, breath coming out in white puffs  through his nostrils as he appeared out of nowhere. He clutched at his side with a wince. "You know," he said, turning to Sungjae. "This was a fairly new grave. Its ghost wasn't very happy with the intrusion."

 

"Ah, yeah... The last one was too old and its spirit already left, I believe? That's why it didn't work," Sungjae murmured, and it was funny how from the spectrum of things demons could do, suppressing a blush wasn't one of them. "My sincere apologies. I'm going to—" He hesitated, gaze dancing between the gathered crowd. "My part of the pay, I'm going to give it up for repairs."

 

"How much do you think police, of all people, is going to pay us?" Hongbin said sardonically. "I bet they won't pay us anything." His shoulders slumped.

 

Sungjae blinked, for the first time looking genuinely confused. The petting resumed, and the beast made a soft – cute, really – little whimper. If Hakyeon hadn't known how dangerous one could be, he would have believed itwas completely harmless. Even the name Sungjae had picked seemed too nice for such a creature –Donggeun. Hakyeon tried smiling at it, and it blinked his eyes, threw its head. Friendly.

 

"Oh, for fuck's sake."

 

Ilhoon wasn't a person who abstained from cursing, no, but he didn't overuse it. He cursed when it mattered, and now it did, oh, it did. One look around would tear a profanity out of anyone's mouth.

 

Sungjae grinned up at Ilhoon, but all Ilhoon did in return was giving a caricatured version of his own smile. He didn't even look mad – just resigned beyond words. Even Wonsik patting his back in consolation didn't help.

 

"Changsub's coming over," Ilhoon said, eyes finding Hakyeon's. "I'm afraid," he visibly swallowed, "he might find it hilarious."

 

"I would." Jaehwan, silent and hiding behind Hongbin's back the whole time, finally opened his mouth to speak. "I would, if I wasn't terrified. Do creatures like this one just—" he waved his hands, "just come out of pentagrams?"

 

"Sanghyuk came out of one," Ilhoon said briskly, and in response he got a stuck out tongue. From Sungjae, because Sanghyuk hadn’t appeared yet, and it didn’t look like he would.

 

"This is really ridiculous," Hakyeon mumbled.

 

Taekwoon bumped his head against Hakyeon's hip, and Hakyeon turned to smile down at him. It was like his body was catching up with the thought that it was all over faster than his mind because he felt totally worn out. At this point, money didn't matter. He wanted to go home, Taekwoon's preferably (as always), and forget those weeks of going in circles. He was set on blurring Sungjae's pentagram for the time being. Even if he wasn't exactly mad at him – just to show him he couldn't do things like that carelessly.

 

Someone's phone pinged with a new message. It was Ilhoon's, and he heaved a sigh. It must have been Changsub.

 

"That's it?"

 

Changsub might have not run to get to them, combat squad in tow, but he surely thought yelling was in line.

 

"The explosion, the sacrifice— the beast? It—it's cute?" He had an expression of surprise and wonder all over his face.

 

The squad, with both guns and traps – same as Hakyeon's but they weren’t as powerful unless the user was potent – shifted on their feet. They were waiting for an order, maybe some of them even afraid of all the creatures around. Because Donggeun was one, but there was Taekwoon who was too big to be a simple cat; Jaehwan's pointy ears weren't a pair to miss; the rest might have looked normal but being with the supernatural crowd made them less human anyway. In some people eyes, at least.

 

Donggeun snapped his mouth, delighted.

 

"You saw that?" Changsub asked, looking back at the armed men. "Cute... So," he clasped his hands,"we have a situation here we need to take care of. Somehow."

 

Hakyeon scrunched his face. "I have no idea how you're going to do it."

 

The look on Ilhoon's face told him he was going to get an answer right away. And, indeed, Changsub clapped his hands once, and went off."We've got the culprit who's going to pay for damages. We'll register his new friend, and hold him up for future service as compensation, too. Since you caught him, the promised reward is in order." Changsub took a step closer to Hakyeon, and then another one. He cleared his throat, and when he spoke again it was barely a whisper. "You don't want that cage from last time, do you? I have no idea what to do with the damn thing, and it's taking up too much space in the evidence room."

 

"Not really, no." Better be honest than regret it later. Hakyeon gave Changsub a shrug and a smile when he gave him a forlorn pout.

 

"Well, I can't blame you. Though, wouldn't it be useful, sometimes—"

 

Whatever Changsub meant, and if it was to do with Taekwoon – they couldn't be sure, but it still tore a low growl out of Taekwoon. Changsub laughed, like it was meant to be a joke. Which probably had been, but Hakyeon still didn't want the cage. He needed money, especially if he was to move out. The fact that he would be living on Taekwoon's credit didn't mean he was suddenly going to be free of any expenses.

 

But it was Sungjae's doing, and he was Hakyeon's subordinate. Hakyeon wondered if Changsub even knew.

 

"If so... Tomorrow morning, my office?" At least it was familiar ground, Hakyeon thought, nodding at Changsub shortly. It made him break into a more genuine smile, and he lowered his voice again, adding, "I have a new coffee machine."

 

Taekwoon's tail hit the back of Hakyeon's feet as it swished. He must have heard, and Hakyeon wouldn't be surprised if he followed him the next day to the police station to just take Changsub on his offer. It didn't matter he wasn't the one addressed, not when it came to coffee.

 

Changsub was watching Taekwoon, and he opened his mouth but before words could come out, one of the transmitters creaked, and a voice asked, "Ilhoon? Boss? Is everything fine?"

 

Changsub swirled in Ilhoon's direction, but Ilhoon didn't need prompting to pick up and answer.

 

"Yeah, we're fine." Ilhoon was staring at Sungjae with Donggeun sitting comfortably at his feet, and he gave out a tired sigh. "No danger at the scene, Hyunsik. We'll be getting back soon."

 

"Oh, okay. Tell boss he left his phone behind and it won't stop—pinging."

 

"Throw it away," Ilhoon deadpanned, and before Hyunsik cut the line off, they all heard his loud laugh through the speaker.

 

Changsub started whining then, threatening Ilhoon to never give him a promotion, but Ilhoon had none of it, telling Wonsik he better drop by tomorrow as well. Hakyeon tuned it all out. He was ready to go home, and that was exactly what he said to Taekwoon as he looked into his cat, vertical eyes. They can deal with it in the morning. This, and other stuff they ought to talk about.

 

 

 

It'd got even colder outside. The office was like a tomb, the weather invading the four walls of it, nippy air sipping through the old drafty windows. No wonder they ended up cuddling on the sofa, trying to warm each other up. And no wonder it turned into a make-out session. The office was empty today as Hakyeon dismissed everyone for the day. After morning visit at the police station, there wasn't much to do anyway.

 

"It reminds me of the first time," Hakyeon murmured, kissing down Taekwoon's neck. "Just in reversal."

 

It was, with Hakyeon straddling Taekwoon this time and not the other way around. Hakyeon wondered if Taekwoon felt trapped at all, the way Hakyeon had felt back then. Like he hadn't had another choice but let it happen. He remembered how easily it had been to let Taekwoon just take.

 

"Less talking," Taekwoon breathed, bringing Hakyeon back to his mouth, kissing him insistently. Just like then. Hakyeon knew what it was leading to, and he smiled into the kiss.

 

Their hips were aligned just so, and it was hard for Hakyeon to hide how delighted he was when Taekwoon pressed in more, and he broke the kiss to laugh as Taekwoon's hands sneaked under his sweater. They were almost as warm as Hakyeon's skin, but even the slight difference in temperature made Hakyeon squirm a little. Taekwoon didn't relent, splayed his fingers on Hakyeon's sides, brought him a few inches closer. His thumbs were at the hem of Hakyeon's pants, pushing in, and Hakyeon almost let out a triumphant shout if the word didn't get stuck on his tongue as the door suddenly opened.

 

"Oh, c'mon," Hongbin cried out, slapping a hand over his eyes. "You can't fuck in here!"

 

Fighting down his embarrassment, Hakyeon sent Hongbin an adamant look. Taekwoon turned his head in the opposite direction, dealing with his own mortification the easiest way –hiding. He didn't put his hands away, though.

 

"We already did," Hakyeon sniffed. He couldn’t think about anything better that would drive Hongbin away. Why was he even there? "Go away."

 

Hongbin slammed the door particularly hard as he left.

 

"I think we should go home," Hakyeon said, sagging against Taekwoon. If they were to continue, Hakyeon didn't think it should be happening there. The thought of Hongbin being upstairs – something they both had overlooked until now – was nagging at Hakyeon's mind too much.

 

"Mine or yours?" Taekwoon never ceased not to ask this.

 

It gave Hakyeon's heart a little leap, because it wasn't long before Taekwoon wouldn't need to ask the question ever again. It was high time he should let Taekwoon know, too.

 

"I said home, didn't I?"

 

Taekwoon didn't say anything for a while but he held Hakyeon that bit closer. He nuzzled at Hakyeon's neck, kissed him there, near the pulse point.

 

"Yes. Let's go home."

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> it was supposed to be a halloween fic but here we are, with february almost over... well i miss autumn always so i'm channeling the vibes okay :D


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